


Bad End

by Wei (wei_jiangling)



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Alternate Canon, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-12
Updated: 2012-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-29 09:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/318467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wei_jiangling/pseuds/Wei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It seemed like so long ago, the night Cumore died.  Yuri and Flynn had argued before then, but never like that.  Never with quite so much at stake.  It was on that night that things had changed between them.  It was on that night that Yuri’s life had started falling apart... He had known what he was doing, and he also knew it would come to this someday.  He knew the two of them would never reconcile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad End

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a "what if" premise where instead of arguing that she doesn't need to be afraid of Yuri after he kills Cumore, Estelle just leaves with Flynn the way Yuri suggests. I think there are a few ways that could have gone, and I will warn any readers--this is the worst of them. As the title suggests, a happy ending will not be found here.

So it had finally come to this. A secluded evening and a clash of swords between two people who once would have called themselves best friends. Now they were just a Commandant and a wanted man.

_It seemed like so long ago, the night Cumore died. Yuri and Flynn had argued before then, but never like that. Never with quite so much at stake. It was on that night that things had changed between them. It was on that night that Yuri’s life had started falling apart._

There was a grind of metal on metal as Yuri blocked a blow from Flynn’s sword.

“I told you what would happen if you continued living the life of a criminal.”

The two of them glared at each other over their weapons.

“And I told you I knew what I was doing.”

Yuri thrust his weight forward, pushing Flynn back. He had known what he was doing, and he also knew it would come to this someday. He knew the two of them would never reconcile.

 _Estelle had left with Flynn shortly afterward. Rita had left along with her, and the old man then had simply disappeared; neither was a surprise. Judy ran off too, after hearing what he’d done. Karol stuck around, but he was quiet. Confused._ Afraid _, Yuri thought. Then the Don died, and the boy lost whatever willpower he had gained. By then, Yuri didn’t have the heart to talk him out of it. Maybe it was better to leave the kid alone, anyway; Karol didn’t really need a bad influence like him. He didn’t try to argue. He just walked away._

_And so he was alone._

The look on Flynn’s face was pure frustration. “As long as I live, I will never understand you.”

And Yuri’s was, too, as he lunged in for a strike of his own. “Why do you think I care if you _understand_?”

After all, no one ever did. He was used to people not understanding, and Flynn most of all. There was a time when they had been the best of friends. But they had turned their backs on each other back then, and now they were enemies.

 _He had seen Estelle again, once, swept up under Alexei’s control. It was only by chance that he even knew about it, but by then he was in the habit of doing the things that needed to be done. Doing the job no one else wanted to do. She had begged him to kill her, to set her free of that prison... and he had. As she died, she seemed so peaceful. Happy. But he had always wondered: if she hadn’t left him--if he hadn’t practically_ told _her to leave him--could he have saved her instead?_

_Though in the end that wondering was useless. He _hadn’t_ and that was all that mattered._

“Besides, you haven’t exactly been trying.” Flynn was so focused on laws and rules; no matter what reasons Yuri had, the Commandant wouldn’t see them. Their conversations--arguments--before had proven that well enough. For a second, Flynn held back, keeping on guard but simply watching.

“I know why you did everything you did, Yuri.” His voice was soft, more understanding than Yuri had heard in a long time. And then he moved again. His voice was forceful again. “But do you really think you’re _right_?!”

 _Repede was the only one who stayed with him, but even he... He was a puppy at the time, so he didn’t remember it and he didn’t really_ know _, but even Repede’s father had died at Yuri’s hands. He’d wanted to protect people, wanted to make the world a better place, but all he knew how to do was kill._

 _So that’s what he had done. Ragou, Cumore, they were just the beginning. One after another, they fell. People who were so bad there was no other way to stop them, or at least that’s what Yuri thought. That was how he would help people. That was how he would make the world better. That_ was all he had left _. And he was certain he was right in his cause._

_And yet there was that gnawing doubt, planted so long ago..._

Flynn swung, and this time Yuri didn’t block. He didn’t even try to dodge as the sword pierced through his stomach. To say it hurt would be an understatement. But...

_Do you intend to rain your justice down on all the villains of the world? That’s the behavior of a common criminal._

Was he _right_? He would have said yes. He had told himself all along that that was the answer. But hearing the question, he froze. He paralyzed completely for that one second because the real answer was _he didn’t know anymore_. He didn’t know if he was truly right; he didn’t know when to stop; he didn’t know at what point he stopped being a benefit to the world and became just as bad as the people he’d decided weren’t fit to live.

And maybe it was just better for Flynn to have stopped him before he got there.

With a groan of pain, he crumpled to his knees. Fell to the ground as soon as Flynn pulled the sword away. He heard the sword clatter to the ground, Flynn shout his name in shock, and footsteps come toward him. He felt hands on him, and suddenly he was looking at the sky instead of the dirt. The stars were pretty.

“Yuri! Talk to me!” He glanced at Flynn, then blankly turned his gaze back to the stars. He should have been upset by this. He should have been bothered by the pain, if nothing else. But somehow it seemed like Flynn was more upset than he was, even with the way they’d been fighting a moment before. Even if they both knew it would end up like this. It was funny, so Yuri laughed. It was a moment longer before he spoke.

“You always... beat me.” He looked at Flynn again, noticed the look in his eyes. In that moment, it was easy to forget everything that had happened between them. It was just like old times, Flynn sitting there wondering if Yuri was okay. Though this time, he wasn’t. This time he was wounded, enough that he knew he wouldn’t recover. Enough that the ground under him was rapidly being stained with his blood. He could feel it soaking through his clothes.

It was fitting, he thought, for it to end like this. He had never surpassed Flynn, not in any way.

“Yuri, I didn’t want--” Yuri raised a hand to silence him. He only made it a couple of inches off the ground, but it seemed to work.

He smiled, ironic. “Remember that stuff we said when we were kids, about fighting to make people smile? I guess... we didn’t know what we were talking about...” At least Yuri didn’t. Flynn had never strayed the way he had. Despite all the things he had said, Yuri knew that. Flynn had remained a shining light where Yuri had let himself get engulfed in shadows. Maybe that was why he had paused. Because this fight wasn’t just some stupid sparring match. It was serious, and he knew which of the two of them truly deserved to live. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. Criminals deserve punishment, and he’d said all along he understood his choices.

Flynn didn’t answer, just went to go rummage through some bag of supplies. He returned quickly, regarding Yuri seriously, holding something out toward him. “I have a gel.” Yuri blinked and raised an eyebrow. Did he really think that would help at this point?

“What’s that supposed to do?”

“Just take it.”

Flynn practically shoved it at him then, but he turned away, shaking his head. “I don’t... want it.” It would just be a waste, anyway.

“...fine.” Yuri heard that reply and thought Flynn had given up, but then he heard the familiar start of an incantation for a healing spell. His strength was rapidly fading, but it seemed he had enough left to reach up and grab Flynn’s arm.

“Told you, it’s not gonna do anything.” And maybe, at this point, he just didn’t want it to, anyway. Maybe he was just happy to be done with everything.

Flynn opened his mouth as if to argue, but closed it again. His expression turned from distraught to simply grim. “You planned this.”

Yuri laughed again, a weak, ironic sort of laugh. “You give me too much credit.” It hadn’t been a plan. It had just been a half-second of indecision he couldn’t take back now. Or a half-second of a decision he couldn’t consciously make. Either way, it just was. He didn’t mind.

He remembered the smile on Estelle’s face, the one that had haunted him for so long. One that mirrored the look on his face now. He finally understood how she had felt then. It was nice knowing everything would just be over. That he wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore. He didn’t look at Flynn as he spoke again. “If someone had to kill me, I’m glad... it was you.” They were words he had heard from Estelle. Words he didn’t understand at the time. Still didn’t. Would Flynn feel the same way he had, back then? He doubted it. Estelle had been a victim of circumstances. Yuri had done everything he had done by choice. Still... “I’m... sorry.”

“Yuri, stop talking like that! If you would just let me help you--” This time it was a cough that silenced him. Yuri barely noticed the blood trickling over his lip.

“Why?” he asked, when he could speak again. “Why bother? Nothing... would help enough... anyway.” And even if it would, he didn’t have the willpower to care. It was easier this way.

“Dammit, Yuri!” Without saying anything more, Flynn tried again to cast that spell. Yuri didn’t have the strength to stop him this time. It helped the pain, a little bit. Nothing else. Yuri gave another weak laugh.

“What did I... tell you?” He looked at Flynn, who just glared at him and started casting again. But it would be just as pointless. “If you want to help, just end it.” He closed his eyes and felt that second spell wash over him with little more effect. He couldn’t see the look on Flynn’s face, but he could imagine well enough what went along with the frustrated growl he heard.

A moment later, he felt the edge of a sword against his neck, and he was relieved that Flynn had stopped arguing with him, that this was just going to be over. He waited, but the sword didn’t move. He opened his eyes again, looked at Flynn’s face, read the emotions in it. They’d known each other forever; it wasn’t hard to see. Hesitation. Sadness. Regret. He didn’t want to do this. Why? ... why?

And maybe Flynn had read that question on his face, because then he spoke. “Yuri... You were a good man.” Yuri wanted to call him a liar, but the blade bit into his neck and his didn’t have the breath for it. He’d seen the plea to get this over with, too. The next thing Yuri wanted to say was “thank you,” but he barely even had time to have that thought before everything went black. He died with a smile on his face.

He was done with this mess of a life he’d chosen. He was... free.

\---

The sword skidded across the ground several feet away, thrown to the side the second its owner didn’t need it anymore. Flynn didn’t watch it, just sat on the ground and buried his head in his knees.

“Stupid. Why are you always so stupid?”

Flynn had known how this would go. He had known that this fight was likely to be the end of one of them, and he knew that it shouldn’t have been him. Yuri was the one who had strayed, who had killed people and broken all sorts of other laws. He was out of control... but Flynn had always admired him for it. For that ability to do what he thought was right no matter what anyone else might say. Despite everything, he had always wanted Yuri to recognize that. To respect himself the way Flynn respected him.

Flynn’s last words to him were the truth, but he knew he hadn’t gotten through to him even then.

He stayed there a long time, just sitting. Crying--sobbing--against his knees. He couldn’t even remember when he had last cried like that, but he didn’t even bother to control it. He didn’t hold back at all.

He wouldn’t, because his fallen friend deserved those tears more than he ever would have known.


End file.
